Holy Lord finally some vacuum diagrams. i thought they did not exist. where did you get them from, and where can i get more...

Look for a set of factory service manuals for the W201/OM602 series in hardcopy on eBay or www.books4cars.com or settle for atrociously poor scans on CD. You can get the FSM on CD through the FastLane link at the top of this page. Expect to pay about 10 times as much for hardcopy.

Sixto
87 300D

My '87 190D turbo had plenty of guts off the line with all vacuum lines stock except for the EGR vacuum line plugged. It would spin the tires on some dry pavement, if I took off hard and hit a painted white line it would always light 'em up. Get it running properly, perhaps the ALDA needs adjustment/replacement, but IMO there's no need to rip out the vacuum lines and re-design it.

tranny dipstick
 

Ok, so i have been working on the car the last few days, and found something new today. the tranny dip stick is Black and says "MB Work Shop Only!"

It does not seem to be the right one, because i can barely pull it out and put it back in. it gets stuck and i really have to force it in. This makes me not want to mess with the tranny fluid level right now, as i dont know if i even have the right one. i have attached a picture of it can anyone comment on what theirs looks like?

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/IMG_3801.jpg

drove it with Vacuum T
 

i just drove around and was checking out the vacuum that was going to the Transmission via a T. When idling, i have show 18, but as soon as i push the pedal down to drive, it will go down to >10 (usually 8) and stay there until the shift. once it tries to shift, i just slips and revs up, then the vacuum goes up to ~20 and then once the gear is engaged, will drop back down to below 10. once i am traveling in gear 3 or 4, the vacuum will slowly creep up and then hold at 15.

does this sound normal??

also, here is the link to the tranny dip stick being pulled out and put back in. with a MB# of 140... makes me think it is for a W140 not my W201.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G-OmLbQrTY (might take a second for Youtube to finish processing the video)

Well... i looked at the EPC program from Mercedes and it says i have the correct dip stick... wow.

The VCV that hangs off the IP modulates vacuum to the transmission - high vacuum under light throttle to soften shifts, low vacuum under heavy throttle for crisp shifts. That's a simplification but you can think of it that way. The vacuum amplifier further complicates/fine tunes the vacuum signal by applying derivatives of VCV vacuum and ALDA boost.

Sixto
87 300D

The rev and slip when attempting to shift is typically called flaring. Can be caused by an improperly set vacuum modulator, worn clutches necessitating a tranny rebuild, or worn springs and plungers in the valve body. Properly setting the vacuum modulator requires fitting a pressure gauge to the tranny. In your case I'd move the adjustment handle one or two notches CW to firm the shifts. Keep track of how much you moved it! Chances are other shifts will be too firm. You might try a $50-60 Superior spring kit before a replacing or rebuilding the tranny.

Check the two links at the end of my soliloquy in the first post -

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/241329-springtime-tranny.html

Sixto
87 300D

slow starts
 

ok so today it got alot cooler in houston, and when driving to work today the car was noticeably slower than accelerating than when warm. if i have vacuum issues that i have to resolve, then why would temperature affect it this much. just something i was pondering.

If it's getting worse, I'd suspect bad fuel / fuel "algae".

Some Blockage
 

It sound like you have some sort of partial blockage and the fuel is thicker also... Jim

ya that could be it, the guy i bought it from drove it less and less due to his arthritis. so it has been sitting this last year, and not driven much. i am down to a 1/4 tank, so i guess i will just get it real low and then take the tank out. get a place to clean it. that way i am really sure if it is all gone and clean.

thanks for the advice. btw jim... how much for that dash you talked about.

Check the tank strainer which may look like mine did :rolleyes:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d.../aS5000453.jpg

I looked at that car when it was at Durango Motors as well. It was when I was looking for my first MB. I did not drive it because of the horrendous amount of tranny fluid on the ground and all under the car. I do remember the sales guy saying the tranny had R, 2 and 4 only. The engine had no blowby according to the "tea kettle test". There was a fuel leak on the engine as well so it did not idle smoothly until it purged the air from the lines, and the driver kick panel had blue cloth stuck to it w/stick pins. Then it went on e-bay. This is the first time I have seen it again.

It looks to be in better shape now. I actually love the dark paint, even though it is a pain to keep clean.

Update: need help finding part
 

So i think i have found part of the problem regarding my slow takeoffs. below are pics of part of the throttle linkage and switches. i am still in the process of finding out what these micro-switches do, but i suspect i has to do with gear selection. As you can see, the roller on the switch closest to the firewall is flat spotted, and does not "click" when i press the throttle. What would this affect?

in the hunt for part numbers, i only found this number on the plastic pieces that holds them both together, but i don't know if i can use that number to order me more.

also the plastic piece that makes contact with the rollers, it has a groove worn in it, but i think it would still work fine, if i just replace the roller. Of course replacing all parts would be the best solution.

MB 201 54546 28

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/IMG_3875.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/IMG_3877.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/IMG_3878.jpg